Gliders and gliding
 

With a couple of others, I was fortunate enough today to be invited to drop into a well known gliding site. The three of us landed as per the instructions and I must say I wasn't sure what kind of reception we would receive as I always assumed that powered pilots are held in the lowest regard by the gliding fraternity.

How wrong I was.

Everyone was as friendly as could be expected and watching the launches from just feet away was fantastic. Added to this, being shown around the hangar was an added bonus; it was a memorable couple of hours and a visit that has completely turned my opinion of gliding/gliders around.

I am determined to go up in one soon and will be making suitable efforts to do so in the summer next year.

Thanks to the organiser (you know who you are), it was a memorable and welcoming visit.:ok:

Give me a ring if you are going Mono - I could do with another fix of gliding!!!

I take it you did go in a proper aeroplane? Makes all the difference.:O

I believe he left a certain blue and silver Luscombe in his wake :}

We are a friendly bunch aren't we!!

If there are any others of the 'I wonder what it is like' brigade out there want to find out, and prepared to travel to Central Southern England, PM me!

The benefits of some gliding for the 'power' pilot
 

I started my flying career in gliders before I moved into powered flight.

I always felt that I benefitted greatly from the appreciation that a glider pilot acquires of how the atmosphere works and in particular how airflow interacts with the airframe of your aeroplane.

You develop a kind of instinctive understanding of aerodynamics (,that's the best way I can describe it). This can be handy to have when practicing power off forced landings in your aeroplane.

If you are flying with a gliding instructor in a glider cleared for spinning (as I think most if not all are), try asking him/her to demonstrate a fully developed spin. (Glider pilots practice spinning as a matter of routine because so much of their flying takes place at low speeds in the turn. These days, not all power instructors are willing to demonstrate a fully developed spin and you commonly have to pay a lot extra for a Firefly or a Bulldog to do it in). Recovery procedure is much the same.

Glider aerobatics are fun. Alternatively, try some ridge flying or see if you can occupy the back seat for a cross country. If you do more than one flight, try to arrange for one to be a winch launch and the other an aero-tow. In the aero-tow, get the instructor to demonstrate 'low-tow'.

Enjoy!

Broomstick.

"These days, not all power instructors are willing to demonstrate a fully developed spin......"

Is this true? I'm surprised if so. :confused:

As surprising as it may be, there are two reasons for this...

1 - the PPL syllabus no longer requires spins to be taught, so some FIs may not have done a spin for a while - if they are not comfortable, then best not to

2 - not all school aircraft are cleared to spin, e.g taper wing PA28s.

Back to the thread, I started on gliders and enjoyed every minute - I also learned what rudder pedals were used for :D

Gliding and gliders are fine------it's the pilots you have to be wary of !!:E :p

And that doesn\'t stand for power pilots as well? :E

I reckon all aircraft are safe ... until a pilot straps in! :uhoh:

SS

Sadly true ST - only guarantee of getting a fully developed spin is when Liz is paying :ok:

I still reckon that my 13 hrs on the Chippy and 80 on the 'Dog was the best training money she ever spent on me:} :}

Experience of gliding makes glide approaches, PFLs and EFATOs an absolute doddle!